Marx Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marx - Assignment Example Like Hegel, therefore, Marx dialectical materialism perceives human progress as an upward spiral process that begins with a single concept (the thesis), which always arouses its very opposite (an antithesis). The interaction of the two, Marx argues, creates some form of tension (synthesis); a kind of stage where the ideas presented in the above two scenarios are refined with the incorporation of elements from either side, resulting into a new concept [new thesis], which is literally more advanced than the original concept [thesis]. Simply stated, Marxist dialectics sees human progress as a conflict directed process, always in a state of constant development/motion, leading to superior levels of interactive mechanisms. An inverted form of Hegels dialectic, Marx explains that the key to changes witnessed in history is not in the operative mechanics of the human mind, but in the material life guided by the system of production; that the very ideas of the mind are but consciously shaped by the material life, for people must produce the necessities of life before engaging in anything else such as politics. In other words, the superstructure of human life rests on the economic relations within the society, and that capitalism, like any other economic system that has been in existence, is only but a transitional force towards a more superior economic system. Capitalist societies, according to Marx theory, have two major social classes: the propertied, which he describes as the Bourgeoisie – owning the means of production and the propertyless , which he describes as the proletariat—owning little or no property and working for wages. The two classes, Marx argues, are dependent upon each other in that while the former need the latter to provide their labor in the production of goods and services from which they derive their profits, the latter depend much on the on former for their income in order to survive. The relationship, is however, based upon

Tasks that can be performed by Self-Managed teams Essay Example for Free

Tasks that can be performed by Self-Managed teams Essay Many organizations are enabling self-managed teams so that the costs of hiring senior managers and supervisors to handle the team are removed. The organization should also be aware that only some and not all of the tasks could be performed using self-management means. All autonomous jobs and tasks can be performed on a self-management basis. As one member is able to acquire and develop skills, the other members would be learning through interactions. In this way the entire team would be competent with performing several tasks in the organizations. Some of the difficult tasks, which are highly unstable and need use of highly specialized skills, may be difficult to be performed by self-managed groups. It may also be difficult for temporary teams and committees to perform self-managed tasks. In the field of nursing and medicine, the management has to ensure that the self-managed teams are not temporary or transient teams that are working for some kind of temporary project. The skills that a self-managed team possesses should be permanent and involve the much routine work (Silverman, 1996). Roles and Responsibilities of Self-Managed teams A self-managed team would be having several roles and responsibilities in the organization. These roles and responsibilities have to be met at various stages of development of the team self-management development. The organization’s culture should be supported by the seven roles of the self-managed team. The seven roles of the self-managed team include: Ensure that the principles and values of the organization are constantly met – these include performance of several tasks such as demonstrating behavior, making decisions and communicating with the customers and suppliers keeping in mind the basic values and principles of the organization. The team member has to also demonstrate personal behavior and values that are in track with those of the organization when communicating with other team members. All conflicts and problems should be handled keeping in and the principles and the values of the organization. Ensure that the various team-related processes are handled in an effective manner – This is closely related to the organization’s culture. The team that is functional should ensure that the characteristics of teamwork and team spirit are incorporated in all work performed. The team should identity the functions and processes that are needed for the work to be performed. The roles, responsibilities, areas of helping one another, etc need to be performed. The team members should know the rules, regulations, decision-making approach, etc, so that any barriers cannot hamper the work. Between the members of the team a mutual trust and understanding should exist. Each member of the team should be available to take over the functions of his fellow team member in case the need is required. The team would also have to closely evaluate and monitor its performance so that any obstacles that may be existent with the workflow is identified and addressed appropriately. Ensure that the team environment is conducive to work Complete the team’s work – Each of the team members should be aware of the various responsibilities of the members and the various processes that are existent. A team member should identity his responsibility and should complete it. They should priorities the work based on the urgency and ensure that all tasks are completed on time. The team members should be able to gather in a group and discuss the tasks and responsibilities to be shared by each team member. They should also be aware of the resources necessary to complete the work, and the manner in which the resources have to be obtained. Each staff member has to schedule his/her work accordingly, and obtain all necessary information to complete the tasks efficiently. The staff members should be able to respond to the information presented to them. They should be able to understand the information and accordingly act. The staff should participate in the organization wide-system – This is a linkage-directed work to ensure that the staff members are able to participate in examining organization-wide processes. The staff members would have to perform certain standardization functions such as purchasing the logistics, paying the taxes, etc. They would also have to collect the data regarding the organization-wide data, analyses it and provide it to the appropriate authorities as and when required. The team members should also give the organization ideas of any changes required in the policies. The other activities in this purview include participation in training and workshops, assessments, appraisals, audits, etc. The staff should participate in the organization wide-strategies – This is a vision-directed work and ensures that the organization’s vision is kept in mind. A team member would have to gather data regarding the environment the organization is functioning in. An organization would be having several inherent strengths and weakens. This would relate to the external environment in the form of opportunities and strengths. The vision statement of the organization should consider the opportunities that are existent in the future, as it has to be realistic and able to function in the external environment. The self-managed team would be the first to interact with the patriot, and hence data regarding the external environment would be available on a first hand basis to the self-managed team. The team would be able to relate the data regrind the external environment to the internal capabilities. In the future, this data could be utilized by the organization whilst strategizing. The self-management teams should be involved in the management by attending meetings conducted for business plans. (Silverman, 1996 Moss, 1996).

Programs to rehabilitate young offenders

Programs to rehabilitate young offenders The intent of this dissertation is to explore the current shaping of the youth justice system and also to explore the programs that are in place to help rehabilitate young offenders who have been placed in young offender institutes. This research will discuss and examine the effectiveness of these programs put in place for young people who are in custody to help prevent them from re-offending once they are in the community. In 2006 the number of prisoners under the age of 21 years in England and Wales stood at 11, 672 and 2,528 of those where children (juveniles). In the past decade or maybe more the number of children and young people entering the penal custody in England and Wales has increased very significantly. It is believed that at least 85 percent of juvenile prisoners are held in Young Offender Institutions (YOI). Young offender institutes are described as specialist penal facilities which are usually managed by the prison service. These institutions are designed for prisoners aged 15-20 years. In these institutions male juvenile prisoners these are from the ages of (15-17 years) are normally detained separately from young adult offenders those who are 18- 20 years old. There are some exceptions to this rule which can at times be applied to female juvenile prisoners (Goldson and Muncie 2006). In England and Wales there is a total of 17 young offender institutes and 13 of those establishments ar e for males and the remaining 4 are dedicated for females up to the age of 17 years (www.yjb.gov.uk ). There are so many explanations which come in to light when it comes to the rise of crime among young people. The aim of the writer is to explore and evaluate the true prevalence youth re-offending and the issues and risk factors that underpin the rehabilitation of people in custody and how effective the rehabilitation programs put in place for young people are. Firstly the literature review will consider relevant viewing the topic of the current model and thinking of the youth justice system. It will also begin by looking at the history of youth imprisonment. Chapter two will explore the programs in place for young people in custody geared towards their rehabilitation. Chapter three will describe and analyse the methodology used in acquiring data. In the fourth chapter the writer will evaluate the rehabilitative programs/the initiatives found in young offenders institutions. The writer will conclude by discussing and summarising the findings and making and future recommendations for future practice. PART TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW The main legislation governing the youth justice system is the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which sets out the systems primary aim which is to prevent offending and re-offending by children and young people. The 1998 Act developed the Youth Justice Board and also the Youth Offending Teams which can be found in every local authority in England and Wales. It is the belief that the main aim of the youth justice system is to prevent offending and re-offending by young people and children (National Audit Office, 2010). It is said that they are four arguments which are put forward for the use of custodial sentencing for young people these are Rehabilitation, Deterrence, Incapacitation and Retribution. Bateman et al (2005) suggests that the argument for Rehabilitation is that the prison should be able to deal with the underlying problems in a way that offenders who remain in the community can not be dealt with. Deterrence it is claimed has both individual and general forms. It is suggested that the presence and use of custodial institutions will prevent young people from committing crimes that might send them to serve custodial sentences. According to the individual form it is expected that custody will discourage those who experience it from committing any more crime so they can avoid further incarceration. Incapacitation is an argument which proposes that if young people who offend are removed off the streets, then they can not offend and so youth crime will reduce. Retribution is an argument which is sometimes used as a rationale for the use of custody. The person who commits the crime is made to pay for the crime they committed. However it is the belief that there is little effect in punishment unless it changes a persons subsequent behaviour (Bateman et al, 2005). Exploring the legislative history of youth justice and the development of the youth justice practice from 1997 onwards. Until 1908 there was no separate court which dealt with young offenders. The children act 1908 was developed and this led to the creation of the juvenile courts, however these courts were presided over by the same magistrates who sat in the adult courts and their formation showed very little understanding of the reasons why children and young people commit crime and also that the needs of children and young people who stand before the courts may be different from those of adults (Dugmore et al, 2006). According to Dugmore et al (2006) it was stated that it could be argued that there was some confusion which arouse at the inception stage between the different approaches which needed to be used when dealing with those children and young people who had committed offences and also those who where just in need of care. The 1908 Childrens Act gave the court authority over both care and criminal issues. Due to the judicial body having control over both the depraved (criminals) and the deprived (children in care) this Act gave birth to the system paying more attention to the process of distinguishing between the different types of young people who came before the juvenile justice system and by difference we mean those young people who deserved to be punished and those young people in need of help and care. The next momentous piece of legislation is the Children and Young Persons Act 1933. Goldson (2008) stated that: This Act aimed to strengthen certain enactments relating to young persons under the age 18 years in particular and The Children and young persons Act 1933 acted and revised measures relating to the protection of and employment of children generally and to criminal proceedings in particular. According to Dugmore (2006), the Act was passed as a result of the Maloney committee (Home office, 1927) which contained a blend of positivist and classicist explanations in children and young people. In this report, it was stated that law breaking was seen as a deliberate act of defiance, which had to be dealt with in the formality of the court and its Sanctions. However, it is recognised that delinquent behaviour may be caused by environmental and psychological factors that were beyond the young persons control. The 1933 Act played an important role in establishing what became known by many professionals such as social workers and others as the Welfare principle, however, Goldson (2008) suggests that much of this large and important legislation has since been transformed or discontinued. Even though this seems to be the case some of the sections of this 1933 legislation is still valuable and better still a majority it was very much still in use until recently. Section 44 of the Act is still regarded as very important for children and young people in court proceedings this is because it states in this section that the court shall have regard to the welfare of the child or young person who stands before it this principle also applies to the crown prosecution service and it is considered to be a weak principle compared to the paramouncy principle which is in 1989 Children Act. It was sated in this Act that the childs welfare must be the factor which determines the courts decision when it comes to the upbringing of a child (Goldson, 2008). Goldson (2008) stated that it was suggested that the duty to have regard means that consideration is provided with regards to the interests of the child or young person, the crown and youth magistrates courts can legally give precedence to other interests such as the need to prevent re-offending and to protect the public. However, this legislation stressed the need for the Juvenile courts to deal with children separately and whilst treating them differently. The Ingle by Report (1960) which is known as the report of the Home Office Departmental Committee on Children and Young persons was responded to by the Government through the introduction of a new piece of legislation which is the Children and Young persons Act 1963 and this legislation is mainly applicable to England and Wales. There are two provisions of this act and number one is concerned with the age of criminal responsibility meaning the minimum age of which a child may be charged with a criminal offence. In this report, it was recommended that age for criminal responsibility in both England and Wales should be raised from 8 to 12 years with the responsibility of a further rise to 13 to 14 at some time in the future. However the then Conservative government refused and by way of compromise increased the age of responsibility to 10. The Children and Young Persons Act 1969 according to Pickford (2006) is considered to be the most welfare orientated established with regards to the treatment of juvenile offenders. This Act was introduced by the Labour government which was in power at that time. It is stated that some of the more welfare orientated provisions of the Act such as the proposal to allow local authorities to deal with juvenile delinquents by using methods such as supervision, arranging care and raising the age of criminal responsibility to 14. These proposals never came into force due to the incoming Conservative government which refused to implement these ideas, however during that same period in Scotland there was little opposition to the Welfare Model of youth justice as proposed by the Kilbrandon in Scotland (Home office, 1964) as cited in (Pickford, 2006). The 1969 Act granted the criminal court the power to pass a criminal sanction on a young person that in effect amounted to a welfare provision the criminal care order which was abolished in 1989. In this sentence both the deprive and the depraved became one and the welfare measure became a criminal sanction (Muncie, 2004). It is stated by Pickford et al (2006) that this legislation created greater powers of discretion for social work but did nothing to stem a rising flow of custodial disposals. Exploring the Current model of the youth justice policy and philosophy Many academics such as Fionda (2005) and stated that one case in 1993 known as the James Bulger case who was killed by two 10-year-old boys changed the opinion of the public and the direction of the youth justice policy in relation to young offenders. The belief is that the shock of the public which was largely fuelled by the media following the case led to a moral panic about how children and young people were breaking the law Cohen (1973). Some academics for example Jenks (1996) argued that the Bulger case led to the death of childhood innocence and the subsequent demonisation of youth. It is suggested that due to this realisation, children were no longer considered too pure and innocent they were now considered capable of the worst kind of evil ever imagined. The idea that children were born innocent and so need to be protected from a society that is corrupt was abandoned and society adopted the notion that children are born capable of evil and need to be controlled (Hendricks, 2002). Academics such as Brown (2005) have agreed that the medias portrayal of young offenders allegedly being treated softly by the juvenile justice system swung the political and publics opinion towards a period of getting tough on youth criminality. Public statistics suggest that the number of young offenders aged 10 to 17 found guilty r cautioned of an indictable offence fell by 30percent between 1987 and 1997. According to Nacro (1999) since 1987, the number of male juvenile offenders has fallen by 33% and female young offenders by 17%. Pickford (2006) highlighted that the frenzy about the problem of youth crime appears to make little sense when the statistical data for that period analysed. The number of young people receiving custodial sentences during that period rose, whilst the number of young offenders detained under sentence fell by approximately 50 per cent between 1980 and 1993. Statistics show that these figures then rose up by at least 56 per cent in the four years leading u p to 1997. Together with the hysteria caused by the media the rise in the figures worked well with the development of a definition called persistent offender over this era and also the getting tough policies which related to the individuals put in this category. In the run up to the 1997 electione political debate surrounding the general election promised a law and order agenda from all major parties. Labours promise was to get tough on crime as well as the causes of crime and this included youth crime. In this period the government in power (Labour Party) established a youth crime task force and the momentum for reform of the criminal justice continued. As a result of this reform seven consultation papers were released and five of those papers related directly to youth justice. These five consultation paper relating to youth justice where published by New Labour after its election to government in1997 setting out its proposals for reform (Pickford, 2006). The 1998 Act was passed as a result of those seven papers. The Act was passed by the New Labour government to provide a root and branch overhaul of the youth justice system, which was to be implemented over a number years following the establishment of and feedback from pilot schemes and pathway sites, which tested the ground of the new reforms (Goldson, 2008). Bateman et al (2005) stated that according to the then Homer secretary Jack Straw the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 represented one of the most radical shake up of youth justice in 30 years. The Criminal justice provisions promised victims of crime a voice in the outcome of criminal cases, while the new civil measures offered to empower middle England by handing it the legal and administrative means to re-establish order and civility in its communities. The entire system was to be vigorously managed at a local level to ensure that it all joined up and offered best value to the public. Section 37 of the 1998 Act emphasized the primary aim of prevent and it states that: It shall be the principal aim of the youth justice system to prevent offending by children and young people (Goldson, 2008). Under this section a duty is placed on all personnel working within the youth justice area to have regard to this very important aim while carrying out their duties. The Home office Juvenile Offenders Unit in order to deliver this principal aim set out a number of key objectives are: Encouragement of reparation. Reinforcement of parental responsibilities. Intervention into risk factors including family, social, personal and health factors. Tackling delays- halving how long it takes for young offenders to be passed from arrest to sentence from an average of 142 days in 1996 to a target of 71 days. Confronting the young offenders with the consequences of their offending and encouraging responsibility for actions. Introduction of a new range of penalties in order to enable those who enforce punishments to punish in proportion to the seriousness and persistence of offending. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 set out six key themes which would assist with achieving the objectives set out above. Section 41 of the act related to the national framework and it set up a framework for the national Youth Justice Boards operation this was aim at encouraging and monitoring nationwide consistency in the implementation of the system of youth justice whilst ensuring goods standards for good practice and good delivery of the service. Section 73 established a new detention and training order which was implemented in April 2000. This order is claimed to be a constructive and flexible custodial sentence with a clear focus on preventing re-offending behaviour. The order can be used by both youth and crown courts in respect of all young offenders under the age of 18years who have been found guilty of an offence that if committed by an adult would be an imprisonable offence. The sentence is split into two half is spent in detention and the other half under supervision is the community (Dugmore, 2006). Section 8 of the act created a parenting order made applicable to the parents of those convicted offenders under the Criminal Justice Act 1991. The new order combines requirements of parents to fit in with their individual situation. However the order may place specific responsibilities on a parent such as ensuring their child attends school everyday. Section 6 and 7 encourages the development of local partnerships to provide a method for identifying Crime and Disorder problems within a local framework in a particular area. Section 67 brought in the reparation order which was designed to help young people who offend to face up to the consequences of their offending behaviour. Section 69, 11, 14 and 65 all of these orders are to do with tackling offending behaviour and providing early intervention for young people (Dugmore, 2006). The Youth Justice Criminal Evidence Act 1999 which was amended by the Powers of The criminal Courts Act 2000 helped achieve the proposals of reform which were outlined in the 1997 White Paper No more excuses (Home Office, 1997d). It is said by Crawford et al (2003) that the act created what is known as a referral order which was compulsory and meant for young people convicted for the first time. With this referral order, a young person is referred to a youth offender panel (YOP) which consists of members of the local community and it is put together by youth offendings teams. This order can be served for periods of between 3 months to a year. Under this order, a contract is drawn up with the young offender and their parents specifying the details of the order. The contracts are made specifically to suit the needs of the young person involved. The referral order is also designed to address the young persons offending behaviour in order to help prevent them from re-offending. The order must include preparation and can at time involve community work, contact with the victim, mediation and participation in education programmes or individual activities. The belief is that once the order is completed, the young persons offence has been spent for the purpose of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Other significant legislative changes Fionda (2005) suggests that following the 1998 and 1999 Acts there has been no statute specifically addressing youth justice practice that has been passed, meaning that many of the reforms are still being considered to be fairly new by experienced youth justice practitioners. However there have been other statutes which have been passed which cover criminal justice and these have had impact on youth disorder and criminal justice procedures. Youth imprisonment within its current model and philosophy The writer Jewkes (2010) suggested that in contemporary Britain there has been an emergence of the adultified child and this is due to the high rate teenage pregnancies, children winning the right to divorce their parents, children being tried in adult courts and many more. It is argued that in England and Wales children are criminalized at a much earlier age and also they are more inclined to lock children up, compared to other countries such as Belgium, Austria, France and many others. It is claimed that in England and Wales twice as many children are put into custody (Goldson, 2003). According to jewkes (2010) one could claim that since the teenage rebellions of the 1980s and 1960s, the age at which young people may be designated folk devils has decreased. However since the beginning of 1990s there have been regular reports about the pre-teenage children committing very serious offences such as burglary, rape and many others (Jewkes, 2010). The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10 years which means anyone aged 10 and above can be held criminally responsible for their actions. Between 2000- 2010 provisional data showed that young people have committed 201,800 offences even though they make up only 11 percent of the population which is above the age of criminal responsibility. It is estimated that offending by all young people cost the economy 8.5 11 billion pounds in 2009 alone. The crimes most committed by young offenders and which they are commonly convicted of are theft and violence. However even though these young people havent been offending for a long time compared to adult offenders it has been noted that at least a third of those young offenders been previously been convicted, warned or reprimanded in relation to an offence (National Audit Office, 2010). It is claimed by the National Audit Office (2010) that they has been a 14 percent reduction in the number of young people held in custody over a duration of five years. Although at times in some cases the use custody is deemed necessary, it is the belief that custody is of limited effectiveness in reducing re-offending behaviour and is considered to be the most expensive sentencing option. It is said that Youth Justice Board is meeting its objective to reduce custody numbers partly through the use of other means which encourage caseworkers to recommend community sentences. CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY In order to gain further knowledge regarding youth offending rehabilitation and imprisonment of young people, the secondary data utilised for this work includes, reports, internet sources, papers, journal articles, textbooks and reports published by the Home Office, Nacro. There are a vast number of ways that data can be obtained. As suggested by Clifford and Gough (1990) when considering the data collection, method selected is compatible and appropriate to both the aims and the theoretical framework being used by the study. METHODS FOR DATA COLLECTION There are two major approaches to gather information these are secondary data and primary data. This study will use secondary data because it is readily available and it takes less time than using primary data. Primary research is very time consuming in terms of establishing samples, arranging and completing interviews, and the collecting and processing data. It is stated by Bryman (2008) that secondary data is the most common research method used by social science researchers today. According to Bryman (2008, p296) secondary data involves the processing of data that has already been collected by other parties or researchers. With this method of research, researchers will consult previous studies and findings such as books, reports, appropriate internet sources such as Youth Justice Board, Nacro, Her Majestys Inspectorate of Prisons, journals and many more. Academic books, journal articles and reports used throughout this dissertation, provided an excellent method of gathering secondary data from well established and respected authors for example Professor John Muncie, Tim Bateman and Professor Pitts. Literature suggests that most secondary data uses qualitative methods, so the research method used would be mainly qualitative. However, qualitative methods aim to study people in their natural social settings and to collect naturally occurring data. Qualitative describes in words rather than numbers. This is opposed to quantitative data which as the manipulation of numerical data through statistical procedures for the purpose of describing phenomena or assessing the magnitude and reliability of relationships among them (Bryman, 2008). Quantitative allows us to see when, where and which social conditions are most likely to create the situations in which young offenders find themselves which in turn encourage them to offend. Qualitative methods on the other hand, can help us develop an understanding of the complexities of young peoples behaviour attitudes and in the context of their experiences whilst in custody in preparation for when they are released back into the community. Qualitative method is for this current study because quantitative research is more concerned with collecting and analysis of data that focus on numbers and frequencies rather than on experience or meaning. In contrast to the research topic, qualitative method helps to develop an understanding of young peoples attitudes, experiences and feelings. As noted they are many reasons why young people re-offend and why custody is used as method of rehabilitation. Understanding these reasons will be a key target for researchers if we are to understand issues around custody, rehabilitation programmes and re-offending of young people in the future. ETHICAL ISSUES Ethical issues had to be taken into account, even though the writer did not use primary research in the study. There is a procedure which requires all participants of the research to give informed consent before conducting any research. Participants must be fully made aware of the nature and procedures of the research. The information given during interviews must remain confidential and not presented to those not directly involved in the study. The British Sociology of Criminologys guidelines on ethics for researchers have been consulted and no ethical issues were noted in relation to the nature of this secondary research project. CHAPTER THREE: OFFENDING BEHAVOIUR PROGRAMMES The main task for youth justice managers and practitioners is to make certain the selection of offender oriented programmes which have been proven to be mainly effective or at least show that in the future they can chive the main goal. Bloom (2006) formulated some questions which are central to the assessment of what works he states What social programs, policies and interventions work? For whom do they work, and under what conditions? And why do they work- or fall short? (Bloom, 2006). What are the offending behaviour programmes? One could claim that that there are two fundamental ways in which to change a young persons behaviour by changing either or both the environment in which he or she hangs or lives in and also by changing the actual individual. It has been highlighted that the most important cause of criminality amongst young people who offend is their individual characteristics whilst for others it is their environment be it the community, home life and much more (Wikstrrom et al, 2008). COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THEARPY (CBT) The idea of CBT is that if you can change the way a person be it male or female perceives and thinks about the social settings they come across and their actions, you can change that persons behaviour. This prevention model suggests that cognition is significant for behaviour and short-term interventions can change young peoples cognition in a way that significantly impacts their offending (Wikstrom et al, 2007). CBT is a fairly new intervention type which has began from advances in the understanding of the role of internal cognition in the expression of external behaviours. In the past three decades according to Leschied (2002) cognitive science and neuropsychology have advanced rapidly bringing a new awareness of how the ways in which persons feel and think influences how they react to the settings in which they take part. This progression is claimed to have revolutionised thinking in the field of criminology. The study of the causes of crime has extended to the causal chain from internal to environmental influences through attention and perception. It is suggested that successfully influencing elements in behaviour and crime causation can have significant and a long-term impact on how individuals choose to act (Wikstrom, 2006). CBT is built around the idea that cognition affects behaviour which also includes offending behaviour. It is believed that individuals have the capacity to monitor and adapt their ways of thinking, which can change how they react to those settings. Hollin (1990) extended this theory by suggesting that offenders may think and feel differently than non-offenders and that this difference in cognition may be the causal link to their offending behaviour. However there are many different types of cognitive behavioural interventions which aim to correct distorted, deficient and dysfunctional cognition which may reinforce offending behaviour by teaching new cognitive skills such as self awareness, moral reasoning, interpersonal perception and many more which increase awareness of the link between thought processes and maladaptive behaviours, and support an individuals ability to actively change those processes in a more positive way (Wilson et al, 2005). Coyle (2005) stated that cognitive behavioural interventions can affect different areas of cognition and behaviour example which may be target are for example decision making, emotional characteristics of behaviour. Areas which are commonly addressed by CBT are victim impact, anger management, moral reasoning social skills training cognitive restructuring, relapse prevention and much more. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) within Young Offender Institutions (YOI). Wilson et al (2005) states that within Young offender institutions CBTs are usually delivered in groups of 8 to 12 offenders. One of the most commonly use interventions applied in YOI are Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), which is a moral reasoning intervention, which targets moral developments and is delivered in groups of between 10 and 15 participants, Reasoning and Rehabilitation (RR), a cognitive skills training intervention, which is delivered in groups of six to eight participants. There are also other therapies which according to Kurtz (2002) are deemed to be popular and effective these therapies include Aggression Replacement Training (ART), which include anger management, moral reasoning elements and other cognitive skills training interventions, which target awareness of thinking patterns, the perceived legitimacy of offending behaviour and problem solving skills to encourage consideration of alternatives. MULTI-SYSTEMIC THERAPY (MST) MST focuses on the need for changes in an offenders immediate social environments such as their family. School and peer environments, the aim is to help reduce or prevent their problematic behaviour and offending. It is the belief that offenders do not act in a social vacuum and their criminality is an outcome of their interaction with the social environment. It is claimed for example that it may be easier to change an offenders moral values and habits that support law breaking by also changing those aspects of the individuals environment that may influence or support such values (Wikstrom and Treiber, 2008). The writer Borduin et al (2003) said that MST was developed specifically to treat youths with serious offending and behaviour problems. MST is aimed youths aged between 10-17 years. It is individualised intervention programme which is intensive and targets the social systems in which a young person who offends operates. MST views offending behaviour as a consequence of the link between individuals and the external systems in which they partake in socially. The primary goal for MST is to promote multi-faceted change in individual, school, neighbourhood and familial variables which influence offending There are two theoretical explanations of which MST draws up, the first is Bronfenbrenners human ecology theory which suggests that there is a link b

Zen and the Transcendent Art Of Mowing Grass :: Example Personal Narratives

Zen and the Transcendent Art Of Mowing Grass As a youth, I hated to mow so much that one day I left our push-mower in the yard to rust and became an expatriated Texas writer. My first story was about an alien being who, in the end, turned out to be a lawnmower. By the time I came home again, I had spent so much time in the East that my Texas friends expected me to move into a highrise in downtown Dallas. But instead we settled sixteen miles to the south, in Cedar Hill. We surprised everyone by buying a place with an eight-acre yard. It was during the summer, and I had to start mowing immediately. "You just stay inside where it's cool," I told Norma, who is afraid of grass. "I'll take care of the yard." As I spoke, I was gazing out at more grass and weeds than I'd ever seen in my life, except at a cemetery. Now whenever anybody from Dallas comes out to see our spread for the first time, they remark on the seclusion, the spaciousness, the scenic beauty. Then they ask uneasily, "Do you MOW all this?" People don't like it when I say yes. They don't understand it. Old friends say I've changed, implying for the worst. But there is a difference between what I do today and the mowing of my youth. Mowing a little patch of front yard is typical outdoor city work: boring, undistinguished, pitiable, drone-like activity. But getting astride a John Deere tractor and spending twenty hours in two days tackling tough thistles, high Johnson grass, giant sticker weeds, and creeper so tough it copulates with barbed wire is the kind of intense activity that, if you survive it, eventually transcends itself. Like Zen or long-distance running, it becomes a path to wisdom. I've been at it three years now, and it's no accident that I don't write as I used to. All I really want to write about is mowing-and then for only an hour or so at a time between whole days on my tractor. The fact is, mowing and writing fill the same needs, only mowing does it better. Mowing eight acres every week would drive some kinds of people mad, but it has served to make me feel in harmony with the flux of the heaving earth as it hurtles through time.

Advantage of Semester System Essay

1. The greatest advantage of this system is that it reduces the load on the studentsand Inculcates regular study habits. 2. Since academic year is divided into 2 semesters it provides upward mobility – the Student can clear the backlog in one or many subjects even after moving to the next semester. 3. Best part is that it enables the students to learn at their own pace. 4. Well if you compare it to an annual system, it keeps students busy all year round with the same level of burden instead of the piling up of work at the end of the year. 5. In semester system, Student all time attach with study. Studies which is good for the Students. 6. The main advantage of semester system. Student busy all the year. He know, If he Does not study, he will fail. >> Easy learning >> Attach with studies. >> Remain in class>> No absence. >> Grip on knowledge. >> Respect of teachers increases. >> Scheduled work plan. Disadvantage of Semester SystemAs a disadvantage of the Semester system, I would point out the lack of recovery that students can make due to limited time, in comparison to Annual systems. Time is too short in Semester system. Students don’t understand many chapters. Today the topic under discussion is the topic which is being frequently discussed by us since the Karnataka University introduced the semester scheme for the degree courses. I strongly believe that semester scheme is extremely beneficial for the students. It is a sign that we are marching towards the development because almost all the developed countries have adopted the semester scheme which means this system must be having some unique qualities which are favorable for the students. First of all, the semester based method makes teaching and learning more scientific. It is good for the students as the syllabus is broken up into units that are to be learnt in a specific time frame. Moreover, as testing and evaluation are done in a continuous manner student can be sure of a more realistic assessment of their academic capabilities than what is done in the annual scheme. The actual process of learning is also more methodical in this scheme. Each topic to be covered in the syllabus is allotted a learning time. The student learns not just by taking down notes during a lecture, but he has to do self study; visiting the library, browsing the net and preparing for seminars and presentations. This results in comprehensive learning of the topic at hand. Many British universities tried changing from the three terms per year system to the American semester system of two sessions per year, in the 1990’s. Some changed but found the system unworkable and returned to the original British system from 2002 onwards. It seems that there are difficulties with semesters, for British universities, and disadvantages for both universities and students. In Britain, changing over to the semester arrangement of the academic year was coupled with changing to modular degrees. Huddersfield University was the first university in Britain to change to the semester system, but returned to the three-term year in 2003. Glamorgan University also returned from two fifteen-week semesters to the traditional three-term year in 2003. Some British universities, including Kingston University (Surrey), have a hybrid semester system and modular degrees. They have a three-term year but teaching is divided into two semesters running from September to July. . The semester system has certain disadvantages both for universities and for students. Most Universities introduced the semester system to accommodate the modular degree and this was difficult for both academics and students. The two systems were introduced together, as part of the scheme to expand higher education. Modular systems work on a credit system, each module counting for credit towards the student’s final degree. University teaching and learning is very different in Britain, to some other countries. In Britain, students have responsibility for their own learning, and tutors and lecturers do not control or lead students to knowledge but rather suggest where they might look to find that knowledge. British undergraduates do much more self-directed and independent study and reading, than in other countries. Students are they expected to think things through and come to their own conclusions and then to explain those conclusions, backing their conclusions with logical reasoning based on the facts. Simply regurgitating the facts that you tutor has taught on the course will not earn a British university degree. Lecturers and tutors do not tell students how to learn, or think and university learning in Britain is more than being force fed facts. Hence, in the United Kingdom, a student reads for a degree. The semester and modular system, therefore, caused academics some problems. Academics felt that the modular/semester system meant that students were sitting too many examinations,simply to complete a module rather than as a necessary part of the learning process. For some subject areas, they also felt that modular learning encouraged compartmentalization of knowledge, rather than applying new knowledge to the subject as a whole, and that it discouraged lateral thinking. In other subject areas, they felt that the modular/semester system only allowed a surface knowledge of a particular topic area, whereas year-long study allowed both in-depth study and the necessary reflection and thinking that the subject requires.

Humans Exhibit Monopolistic Behavior essays

Humans Exhibit Monopolistic Behavior essays Humans Exhibit Monopolistic Behaviors In economics we often see monopolistic behavior displayed by companies. Monopolies are defined as companies with exclusive control over the marketing of their product or service. A monopoly is generally the dominant firm, not necessarily the only firm in their corner of the market. The difference between monopolies and competitive firms is that a monopoly is able to influence the price of its good. Monopolies can be created if the company is the only seller of its goods or their are no close substitutes. They stay monopolies because their are many barriers to entry in the market for potential competitors. The barriers to entry would be that the resource is owned by one firm; the government allows the product to be patented or copyrighted; and the cost of the production of a good is the most efficient, therefore the cheapest for a single company. Like in firms there is usually a power struggle in families, but between siblings for attention by their parents. Generally, parents try to be fair in the attention distributed amongst their children, but there is usually one child who is able to dominate the attention. In most families the youngest child has an amazing control over their parents. They are constantly able to captivate their parents attention. It is very easy for this to happen because usually the youngest requires the most attention. They have more needs and are more dependent on their parents than the other siblings. The other children are in constant competition with the youngest for the attention. The youngest child in most families is able to dominate the attention from their parents. They create a monopoly over the attention from their parents. The older siblings are then closed out of the market with the lack of attention. The competition is very strong when the children are younger, but in the later years the older siblings accept the fact that it wi ...